Y Combinator backed Plasticityis tackling the problem of getting software systems to better understand text, using deep learning models trained to understand what theyre reading on Wikipedia articles and offering an API for developers to enhance their own interfaces.

Specifically theyre offering two APIs for developers to build more robust conversational interfaces, as they put it with the aim of becoming a centralized solution for Natural Language Processing (NLP). Their APIs are due to be switched from private to public beta on Monday.

One thing where we think this is really useful for is conversational interfaces where you want to integrate real world knowledge, says co-founder Alex Sands. We think its also really useful when you want to provide instant answers in your application whether thats over the entire Internet or over a custom corpus.

One example might be search engines that are competing with Google and dont have their own instant answer technology. [They] could use something like this. Were in talks with a few of them, notes Sands.

The other application is conversational interfaces who want a new NLP stack that will give them a lot more information than what an academic package like Stanford CoreNLP would provide them today, he adds.

A few years back, the founders worked on a hack project that expanded the powers of Apples AI voice assistant Siri, by adding support for custom commands such as playing a Spotify track or dialing up the temperature via a Nest device. This was before Apple opened up Siri to third party apps so they were routing voice commands through a proxy and claim to have basically built the first app store for voice commands.

The experience taught them that NLP in general is not robust for handling more complex commands and queries, says other co-founder Ajay Patel.

The other problem was a lot of the natural language processing tools out there really take a simplistic approach to understanding what a user says, he adds. The most simplistic way to explain it is theyre looking for keywords to figure out what a user is asking.

Plasticity is taking a different approach vs these keyword-based NLP systems; building a system that understands the semantics of a sentence so it can perform a linguistic breakdown to figure out all of the relationships and entities in a sentence.

They can then hand that information to developers so they can build more robust conversational interfaces around it, as Patel puts it such as, for example, a chatbot thats more conversational and capable, given it can serve up answers it found online.

Today you can ask Siri fact-based questions, like who directed a movie, or who a particular song. But you cant ask it a more useful question, like when is Stanford Spring break? he adds. It cant take a sentence from the Internet and then find the direct answer in that sentence and then return that to the user.

Instead Siri usually performs a Google search and serves those results to the user leaving users to do the last mile legwork of extracting an actual answer.

Plasticitys promise is to cut out that last step by returning the right answer directly to the user.

Our core technology uses deep learning to figure out the base level of NLP tags so thats things like parts of speech, syntax dependency tree. So we use machine learning on the base to figure that out, and we use TensorFlow and Googles SyntaxNet module, says Patel. And then on top of that weve built custom C++ code that basically operates a lot more accurately and a lot faster than a lot of the competitors out there.

Of course if the Internet is your oracle then theres limitless scope to return not truthful answers but full-on falsities, fake news and other skewed and prejudiced views as indeed weve already seen Google Home do. Oops. So how does Plasticity avoid its technology falling into a similar trap and ensure accuracy in the answers its API can help provide?

What we do right now is we run it only over Wikipedia, says Sands on this. Then the plan from there is to slowly expand whilst still maintaining that accuracy that youre talking about.

The API has been more than 1.5 years in development at this point, and they claim much higher accuracy and much higher speed at parsing sentences than IBM Watson, for example.

Initially, Patel says they focused on areas that existing, keyword-based NLP systems were handling well such as lists and then continued building out the complexity to handle other linguistic edge cases.

While they name Google as their main competitor at this point given the companys stated aim of organizing the worlds information, building systems that can understand text is a clear necessity for Mountain Views mission even so they reckon theres room for another NLP player to offer similar services to the wider market.

[Google has] put a lot of work into understanding text on the Internet to do their instant answer question and answering But we really think that theres still a space in the market for a solution for everybody else out there, whos not Google, whos not putting in hundreds of millions of dollars of investment into machine learning and we really think theyve got no ambition to become a leader in NLP. For example Apple actually outsources their question and answering on Siri to Wolfram Alpha.

So we think theres a significant place in the market to be the natural language processing solution and knowledge graph solution for all the other artificial intelligence products out there.

And while their first focus is on building NLP tech that can understand semantic structure and perform granular linguistic analysis, Patel says they may also expand to other areas such as program synthesis to add more abilities to the API in future.

Funding wise, theyre still in the process of closing out their seed but have taken funding from multiple investors at this point including First Round Capitals Dorm Room Fund and General Catalysts Rough Draft Ventures. Theyll be looking for more investment after YC demo day, they add.

Amazon might get into event ticket sales, according to a new report from Reuters. The commerce giant has eyed the space, which is largely dominated by Live Nations Ticketmaster in the U.S., and found it a space for plenty of potential opportunity, according to the outlets sources.

Theres definitely wiggle room on the side of consumer experience; Ticketmaster receives plenty of grief from customers for its fees and practices. And Reuters claims theres appetite on the side of sports leagues, venue operators and sports teams, since they hope to grow ticket sales in general with some variety in distribution avenues.

Ticketmaster has managed so far to fend off potential upstart competitors, including ticketing platforms like Universe and Front Gate. Amazon, of course, is not a startup, and could carry considerably more weight. Plus, it already has relationships in place with key music industry players, and arguably one of the largest addressable customer bases with payment information on file ever amassed.

Reuters says that Amazon had talked to Ticketmaster about potential partnerships stateside, but that its sources claim those talks have stalled. Amazon has also talked to leagues about potential StubHub-style secondary market ticket resales, too, the report claims.

Where Amazon might have difficulty moving forward in this potential endeavor is around customer data. Venue and team owners want specific customer info to help them develop the right approach to marketing to their most lucrative customer demographics, but Reuters says Amazon has been reluctant to share said data in a prospective ticket sales partnership.

Ticket sales could end up being a potential additional driver for Prime memberships, too; you can imagine how Amazon would be able to secure reserved blocks for Prime members for high-demand events, open early pre-sales or offer other member-exclusive benefits. Its a model already used by other membership-style programs, including American Express cardholder programs.

Weve reached out to Amazon for a statement, but had not received a response as of publication time.

Aries

Youre an energetic person, full of life and excitement and gusto for everything that crosses your path. Ironically, the guy you attract is often the complete opposite. Hes calmer, steadier, and more even-keel. He takes life seriously and slowly, and this can either be a perfect balance to your upbeat heart, or lead to total frustration. Either way, your energy attracts someone who doesnt always understand your passion, but still admires and craves it.

Taurus

Your steadiness is one of the most attractive things about you. Though it can often take you a little to warm up or to trust people, you are such a stable and devoted partner once committed. However, you often find yourself in relationships with guys who are struggling. Whether hes broken by his past, having a hard time getting over an ex, or just has major issues letting you in, because of your patient and caring nature, the guy you often attract is the one you need to fix.

Gemini

Youre the type of person who craves connection. You love to be around people, to be constantly learning, and to be inspired. The type of guy you attract is someone you meet in a social scene, someone who appears to be just as passionate as you, but unfortunately falls short. More often than not, you attract the guy whos putting on a faade. He appears to be confident, intellectual and curious, but after getting to know him, you realize he was just trying to charm you; the real him turns out to be kind of boring.

Cancer

You treat everyone like family. You have a huge heart and would do anything for the people you love. Thats why its obvious you attract the sensitive guy, the kind of guy whos emotional and in-tune with his feelings. The problem with this is that this guy ends up as a best friend, rather than boyfriend material. Because he feels so comfortable around you, and because you are able to open up with each other right away, he often turns out to be more of a brother than a BF.

Leo

You are bold. You are a leader, proud and in charge. You love to lavish the people around you with affection and gifts, which is why the guy you often find yourself with is the needy one. This guy is attracted to your big personality and gets easily swept up in your caring, giving arms. Though the relationship might appear positive at first, often you get too smothering and he gets way too clingy.

Virgo

You are a great listener, and someone who is trustworthy, calm and collected, no matter the drama you face. Because of your patient nature and your ability to often take on more than you should, you find yourself attracting the guy with baggage. He has a crazy past, a lot going on, and often brings a lot more chaos to your life than necessary. Hes attracted to you because youre everything he needscomfort, security, care, and calm.

Libra

Your personality is rooted in your need for balance. You love things to be in order, to make sense, and to be in harmony. But sometimes youre a little wishy-washy, unsure of what to do next or how youre really feeling in a situation. Thats why the guy you attract the most is the guy whos never completely serious about you. This guy is half-in, half-out. He sometimes acts like your boyfriend, and sometimes acts like he barely knows you. Maybe he reads your indecision as hesitation, or maybe hes just a playerwhatever the reason, youre never quite sure of his feelings for you.

Scorpio

Of all the signs, you are the most independent in the sense that you crave your alone time and need it to refresh. Because of your ability to be secure within your own person, the guy you often attract is the one in the same boat. Hes independent and self-sufficient. He doesnt really a partner, but does enjoy your company. The problem with this guy, though, is that hes often too distant. Though you like being alone, in a relationship you long for closeness, and hes not always good at providing that or really being there when you need him.

Sagittarius

Youre the explorer, the wanderer, the one who loves to live outside the norm. You are able to strike up conversations with ease and have a large group of friends. Unfortunately, you seem to attract the type of guy who just wants to tie you down. Maybe its because your personality makes you a total catch. Maybe its because youre everything hes not. Whatever the reason, the guy you attract is the one who just wants to lock you down. And for someone like you, who hates being controlled, that is a big no no.

Capricorn

Youre the type of person who takes life very seriously. You are a leader, driven and goal-oriented. Youre often working on something or striving to complete a project. This focus and dedication to the things you do often attracts the guy who is lacking those qualitiesthe goofy, live-in-the-moment type of guy. This guy is the life of the party, the class clown. Hes always cracking jokes, making you laugh, and reminding you to not be so serious all the time. This can be great because hes your counterpart, or the opposite, and his unfocused nature can be detrimental to your core values.

Aquarius

You are an extremely selfless person. When it comes to someone whos struggling, you are more than happy to set aside your needs to be there for them in any way you can. Youre all about connections and closeness with people. Which is why you undoubtedly attract the player. This guy is all about sweet talk and sneakiness. You fall for his charm because youre willing to be there for people, no questions asked. Unfortunately, he sees this kindness in you and takes full advantage. Be careful! Not everyone is as genuine with their intentions as you.

Pisces

Youre a daydreamer. Though you can be loud and silly and social at times, more often than not, youre caught up in your own head. Thats why it makes sense that you attract an outgoing, confident type of guy. This guy is loud and out there; he brings you out of your shell. At first he appears fun and totally into you, but when it comes down to it, hes really just all about himself. That big personality you enjoy? Its actually pretty cocky. He loves to be the center of attention, and for someone like you, who values deep thinking and authentic emotion, it just doesnt work.

Finding someone who tells you how beautiful you look, someone who promises you that you’re perfect just the way you are, isn’t going to make you feel any better about yourself. If you have low self-confidence, you’re going to shake your head at those comments. You’re not going to believe them. You’re going to think your person is lying to you, that they’re just trying to be nice.

You aren’t going to start loving yourself more, or loving your life more, because you’ve found someone to share it with. You’re still going to have the same problems that you had when you were single.

Your forever person can be there for you, but they cannot save you. They cannot change the way that you feel about the world.

Finding someone to fall asleep beside, someone to grab dinner with, someone to text whenever you’re feeling sad, is always nice — but it isn’t going to magically make your life complete. It isn’t going to fill that empty void that’s been drilled into your soul.

Even if every second you spend with your person makes you feel like you’re walking on air, you can’t be around them all of the time. You can’t follow them everywhere. You can’t cling onto them.

If they are the only reason for your happiness, if you’re miserable again the second they leave the room, the relationship is eventually going to fall apart. Because you’re going to be jealous when they go out with their friends and have fun without you. Because you’re going to feel gutted when they take a little too long to answer a text. Because you’re going to act like life isn’t worth living when you get into the smallest fight.

I hate to break it to you, but finding your forever person isn’t magically going to make you happy. Not in the fulfilling way that you’re meant to be happy.

You have to find happiness on your own. You have to find a hobby that gives you the same butterflies in your stomach as your person does. You have to find a career that makes you excited to get up Monday through Friday morning.

You have to find books that transport you into a world you wish you could experience yourself. You have to find music that makes your pulse throb a little faster. You have to find stupid jokes that make you laugh until you snort.

You have to find concerts and wineries and festivals you’re excited to go to with your friends on weekends. You have to adopt a dog that makes you smile whenever you step through the door or get obsessed with a new show that you count down the days to see.

You have to find little reasons to love life, because the big reasons can disappear in the blink of an eye.

You don’t want one person to be the sole reason for your happiness, because imagine what will happen if they leave. Imagine how hard that will break you. Imagine how difficult it will be to recover from that.

You have to find real, raw happiness on your own. You have to remember that relationships aren’t the only way to earn a smile.

Aries

(March 21st to April 19th)

You know you’ve found the one when you finally meet someone who makes you excited to be in love and in a relationship, rather than dreading it. In the past, you’ve felt stifled, held back, and smothered by relationships. But with this person, you feel like all you want to do is shout it from the rooftops and tell everyone how in love you are, because rather than feeling like this person is pulling you back, you just feel free enough to be yourself. You finally feel like you’re with someone who wants to run with you instead of holding you in place.

Taurus

(April 20th to May 21st)

You know you’ve found the one when you’re no longer are overwhelmed with feelings of insecurity or jealousy, and instead are just enjoying bringing them into your world. In the past, you’ve had issues with trust or doubt in your relationships, but this new person just makes you feel calm, secure, reassured, and happy. You’re not worried about who they’re texting or if their feelings are as strong as yours they’ve done nothing but make you feel cherished, safe, and loved. So rather than feeling anxious or insecure, you’re just having the time of your life watching them grow close to your friends and family and weave themselves seamlessly into your life.

Gemini

(May 22nd to June 21st)

You know you’ve found the one when you don’t feel the need to be ‘on’ in front of them. Your whole life up until this point has been feeling like you’re one way in front of other people and another way by yourself. You love being the energetic and lively spirit that most people know you as, but you also feel exhausted from pressuring yourself to keep your low moments, your insecurities, and your feelings of inadequacy to yourself. You know you’ve found the one when, finally, they love your human, fragile, and vulnerable side as much as they love the side of you that’s strong and social and bright.

Cancer

(June 22nd to July 22nd)

You know you’ve found the one when you’re with someone who values family, loyalty, and relationships as much as you do. It doesn’t have to mean that they have a perfect, amazing family it just means that you’re with someone who cares as much as you do about the feelings, wellbeing, and happiness of the people who matter most to them. You feel like they understand you better than anyone, and that you’ve finally met someone who treats you with as much compassion as you treat others.

Leo

(July 23rd to August 22nd)

You know you’ve found the one when you meet somebody who finally starts calling you out on your bullshit. You’re a very warm and loving person, but because you’ve also always been creative and successful, you haven’t dealt with much rejection. So when you meet someone who doesn’t let you call all the shots and makes you feel out of control for once, you know you’re in the right relationship. They’ll make you feel supported and loved and happy without ever letting you get complacent it’s the best combination for you.

Virgo

(August 23rd to September 22nd)

You know you’ve found the one when your relationship is finally causing you more joy and thrill than it is anxiety and stress. You’re a chronic over thinker and have always struggled in relationships with feelings of self-doubt and consistent self-criticism. So when the person comes along who helps you get out of your own head, who sees all the awesome things about you, and who makes you feel and like someone ‘gets’ you for once in your relationship, you know you’ve found your person.

Libra

(September 23rd to October 22nd)

You know you’ve found the one when you meet someone who doesn’t fall for your effortless charisma and irresistible personality for once. You’re used to getting away with things and doing whatever you want when you want, thanks to your easy charm. So when you meet someone who loves you for you but also makes you meet them halfway instead of letting you get whatever you want 24/7, you know you can never let a match of that sort and a healthy balance like that walk away.

Scorpio

(October 23rd to November 22nd)

You know you’ve found the one when you feel like your walls are being pulled down. Although you’re incredibly emotional and magnetic, you also tend to be secretive and private about a lot of your life only letting people see what you want them to see. So when the person comes along who is not intimidated by your strength and instead dares you to show them all sides of you, you’ll love more fiercely and more happily than you ever have before.

Sagittarius

(November 23rd to December 21st)

You know you’ve found the one when you can actually be real, complicated, and three-dimensional in front of them. You tend to lean towards the positive, happy-go-lucky attitude, and that’s wonderful that’s not to say you’re in any way insincere or fake. But when you become known as the happy, buoyant person, the pressure evolves to remain that way for everyone, always. When the right person comes along, however, you’ll feel the freedom to finally be vulnerable, occasionally downhearted, and complex basically, with the right person, you’ll feel the freedom to a three-dimensional human.

Capricorn

(December 22nd to January 20th)

You know you’ve found the one when you no longer feel like you have to explain yourself, because they just love you. Rather than having to deal with the arbitrary dating rules and ridiculous games that you hate when it comes to love, you’re with someone who is on your wavelength someone who’s straight to the point and cuts through the crap, someone who brings out a more optimistic side of you, and someone who understands and appreciates the subtle and humorous part of you that most people miss out on.

Aquarius

(January 21st to February 18th)

You know you’ve found the one when your instinct to be aloof and unattached goes out the window because you’re so overwhelmingly fascinated by them and drawn to them. You typically keep your distance when it comes to dating because that’s where you feel most comfortable and in control, but this person is causing you to behave in a way you never have before you’re more open, vulnerable, and unaffected with them because the conversations you’ve had and the energy you feel with them makes you more comfortable with being yourself. It’s a comfort that you haven’t felt in a long time.

Pisces

(February 19th to March 20th)

You know you’ve found the one when you meet someone who makes you feel more active, excited, and alive in your life than you ever have before. You’ve always had a big imagination and a lot of ideas about where you’ve wanted to go, but up until this point, you haven’t felt safe enough and supported enough to go after those dreams. But with this person, you feel like you’ve finally found somebody who encourages you, keeps up with you, and allows you to trust them. You finally feel like you’ve found someone who believes that you are nothing but potential and strength and capability.

Neuticles

Via: Terribley

Does your dog feel like he’s missing something? According to this company website, Neuticlesâ€”that’s right, fake dog testiclesâ€””allow your pet to retain his natural look and self-esteem, and aids in the trauma associated with altering.” OMG!

2

Bowlingual Voice Translator

Via: CNET

apanese toymaker Tomy has released a translating gadget that can turn barks into words allegedly. And what about an English version?

3

Dog Butt Covers

Via: oddee

Rear Gear specializes in canine butt covers. (Its charming tagline is “No more Mr. Brown Eye.”) They come in various designs, including cupcakes, disco balls, biohazard symbols, and even custom versions, like a company logo or cute family photo. Just hang this bad boy on your pet’s tail, and you can totally pretend that it’s not a living, pooping animal for a few hours anyway.

4

Hot Doll

Via: oddee

Are you constantly having to pry your promiscuous pooch off the legs of anyone within a few mile radius of your home? Protect your legs (and your dignity) from hump attacks by getting your pooch a Hotdoll. This sex doll for dogs is shaped like another dog and allows your randy pet to go to town as much as his little heart desires while giving your pillows a much-needed rest.

5

Canine Cologne

Via: Amazon

Machino is made for the canine “man of the house” and, according to its creators, creates a “feeling of relaxed sophistication and understated luxury” in your pet. Nice try.

6

Snow Boots

Via: Oddee

In 2012, researchers in Japan studied the legs and paws of dogs and discovered that a “wonderful network” of veins helped quickly circulate blood from the pad through the legs to warm it back up before sending it into the body, keeping the overall temperature of the dog steady. So, while boots may not be a necessity, they sure still look cute on the dog attempting to walk in them!

7

Nail polish

Via: Dogsaholic

If you are going to go there and wish to paint your pup’s nails, make sure to get polish designed for specifically for dogs; nail polish for humans is quite toxic.

8

Piqapoo

Via: Oddee

One company has created a new gizmo in an effort to get rid of the ickiest part of pup parenting. Piqapoo is a cushioned clip you place near your dog’s tail, which has a small bag attached to the bottom. The invention claims that when your dog does his or her business, the attached bag will catch the poop for you. All you have to do is remove the used bag and toss it.

9

Leg Warmers

Via: Oddee

Yes, they can be cute, but does a dog really need leg warmers? Some believe so, as they are ideal for keeping tiny snowballs from accumulating on your dog’s legs during the harsh winter.

Crispr inventor Jennifer Doudna talks about discovering the gene-editing tool, the split with her collaborator and the complex ethics of genetic manipulation

Jennifer Doudna, 53, is an American biochemist based at the University of California, Berkeley. Together with the French microbiologist Emmanuelle Charpentier, she led the discovery of the revolutionary gene-editing tool, Crispr. The technology has the potential to eradicate previously incurable diseases, but also poses ethical questions about the possible unintended consequences of overwriting the human genome.

Were you nerdy as a child? What got youhooked on science?Yes, I was nerdy. My father was a professor of American literature in Hawaii and he loved books. One day I came home from school and he had dropped a copy of The Double Helixon the bed, by Jim Watson. Onerainy afternoon I read it and I was just stunned. I was blown away that you could do experiments about what a molecule looks like. I was probably 12 or 13. I think that was the beginning of starting to think,Wow, that could be an amazingthing to work on.

Youve spent most of your career uncovering the structure of RNA and never set out to create a tool to copy andpaste human genes. How did you endup working on Crispr? I think you can put scientists into two buckets. One is the type who dives very deeply into one topic for their whole career and they know it better than anybody else in the world. Then theres the other bucket, where I wouldput myself, where its like youre at a buffet table and you see an interesting thing here and do it for a while, and that connects you to another interesting thing and you take a bit of that. Thats how I came to be working on Crispr it was a total side-project.

But when you first started your collaboration with Emmanuelle Charpentier, did you have a hunch youwere on to something special? We met at a conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and took a walk around the old town together. She was so passionate, her excitement was very infectious. I still remember walking down this street with her and she said: Well Im really glad you want to work with us on the mysterious [Cas9 the enzyme that snips DNA at the chosen location in the editing process]. It was this kind of electrifying moment. Even then I just had this gut feeling that this was something really interesting.

How important is personal chemistry inscience collaborations? Its essential. Working in a lab is analogous to being in a high-school play: youre rehearsing long hours, itscrowded, there are stressful things that come up. Its the same thing in science. Things never work as you think they will, experiments fail and so to have people around that really get along with each other is super important. Many collaborations dont work out, usually just because peoples interests arent aligned or people dont really like working together.

The real frenzy around your work started in 2012, when you showed that Crispr-Cas9 could be used to slice up DNA at any site [of the DNA molecule] you wanted. Did you realise this was abig deal gradually orimmediately?It wasnt a gradual realisation, it was one of those OMG moments where you look at each other and say holy moly. This was something we hadnt thought about before, but now we could see how it worked, we could see it would be such a fantastic way to do gene editing.

After you demonstrated Crispr could edit bacterial DNA, two rival labs (Harvard and the Broad Institute) got there first in human cells. How come they beat you to it? They were absolutely set up to do that kind of experiment. They had all the tools, the cells growing, everything was there. For us, they were hard experiments to do because its not thekind of science we do. What speaksto the ease of the system was that a lab like mine could even do it.

The Broad Institute won the latest round of an ongoing legal battle over patent rights they claim that it wasnt obvious that Crispr could be used to edit human cells too. Where do you stand? People have asked me over and over again: Did you know it was going to work? But until you do an experiment you dont know thats science. Ive been lambasted for this in the media, but I have to be true to who I am as a scientist. We certainly had a hypothesisand it certainly seemed likea very good guess that it would.

Theres the patent dispute and you and Emmanuelle Charpentier also ended up pursuing rival projects to commercialise the technology. Are you all still friends? If theres a sadness to me about all of this and a lot of its been wonderful and really exciting its that I wouldve loved to continue working with Emmanuelle, scientifically. For multiple reasons that wasnt desirable to her. Im not blaming her at all she had her reasons and I respect her a lot.

The media loves to drive wedges, but we are very cordial. I was just with her in Spain and she was telling me about the challenges [of building her new lab in Berlin]. I hope on her side, certainly on my side, we respect each others work and in the end were all init together.

In your book you describe a nightmare youhad involving Hitler wearing a pig mask, asking to learn more about your amazing technology. Do you still have anxiety dreams about where Crispr mightleave the human race? I had the Hitler dream and Ive had a couple of other very scary dreams, almost like nightmares, which is quite unusual for an adult. Not so much lately, but in the first couple of years after I published my work, the field was moving so fast. I had this incredible feeling that the science was getting out way ahead of any considerations about ethics, societal implications and whether we should be worrying about random people in various parts of the world using this for nefarious purposes.

In 2015, you called for a moratorium on the clinical use of gene editing. Where do you stand on using Crispr to edit embryos these days? It shouldnt be used clinically today, but in the future possibly. Thats a big change for me. At first, I just thought why would you ever do it? Then I started to hear from people with genetic diseases in their family this is now happening every day for me. Alot of them send me pictures of their children. There was one that Icant stop thinking about, just sent to me in the last 10 days or so. A mother who told me that her infant son was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease, caused by a sporadic rare mutation. She sent me a picture of thislittle boy. He was this adorable little baby, he was bald, in his little carrier and so cute. I have a son and myheart just broke.

What would you do as a mother? You see your child and hes beautiful, hes perfect and you know hes going to suffer from this horrible disease and theres nothing you can do about it. Its horrible. Getting exposed to that, getting to know some of these people, its not abstract any more, its very personal. And you think, if there were away to help these people, we should do it. It would be wrong not to.

What about the spectre of designerbabies? A lot of it will come down to whether the technology is safe and effective, are there alternatives that would be equally effective that we should consider, and what are the broader societal implications of allowing gene editing? Are people going to start saying I want a child thats 6ft 5in and has blue eyes and so on? Do we really want to go there? Would you do things that are not medically necessary but are just nice-to-haves, for some people?Its a hard question. There area lot of grey areas.

Are you worried about cuts to science funding, including to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget?I am very concerned. Science funding is not a political football but in fact a down payment on discovery, the seed money to fund a critical step toward ending Alzheimers or curing cancer.

Researchers currently working on projects aimed at improving numerous aspects of our agriculture, environment and health may be forced to abandon their work. The outcome is that people will not receive the medical treatments they need, our struggle to feed our exploding population will deepen, and our efforts to manage climate change will collapse.

Over the long term, the very role of fundamental science as a means to better our society may come into question. History and all evidence points to the fact that when we inspire and support our scientific community we advance our way of life and thrive.

Were you disturbed when Trump tweeted, If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view NO FEDERAL FUNDS? in response to a planned alt-right speaker being cancelled due to violent protests on campus?Yes. It was a confusing tweet since the university was clearly committed to ensuring that the event would proceed safely and first amendment rights were supported. Few expected the awful actions of a few to be met with a willingness from the highest office to deprive more than 38,000 students access to an education.

Youve spoken at Davos, shared the $3m2015 Breakthrough prize, been listedamong the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Areyou still motivated about heading intothe lab these days? Yesterday I was getting ready to go to a fancy dinner. I was in a cocktail gown and had my makeup on and my hair done, but I wanted to talk to a postdoc in my lab about an experiment he was doing, so I texted him saying can we Skype? It was 8am in California, I was over here [in the UK] in my full evening gown, talking aboutvthevexperiment.Thats how nerdy I am.

Aries

When your Aries fell for you, they fell They threw all of themselves into the relationship, full of energy and passion. From the very first time you two met, they were keen on getting close to you, curious about your life and past in a way that no one has been before. Its clear they are totally invested, but their deepest fear is that youll fall out of love with them. See, an Aries flaw is that they sometimes have tunnel visionthey can be so focused on giving you all of their love and affection that they fail to see whether or not youre responding positively to it. They could be loving you so hard, that they love you away. And that is their deepest fear, watching you walk out of their lives after theyve given so much.

Taurus

Your Taurus lover was just as their sign said they would be stubborn and bull-like, difficult to commit. It was clear they were interested when you first started talking, but understanding their desires, peeling back the layers in their mind, getting to really them took forever. You were often worried that they werent really into you because they were so unsure about committing, but when they finally did, everything seemed perfect. But, in any relationship, there is tension and fear, and your Taurus secret fear is that now that they ve committed, youll lose interest. See, you pursued them, pushed them and stood by them, even when they werent ready. Now that youre on the same level as them, theyre terrified you were only in it for the chase.

Gemini

Sometimes you watch your Gemini steal the show, captivating everyone with their stories, their laugh, their passion for the world and you love how much energy theyve brought to your life. Whether you match their tenacity, or are their shy counterbalance, your relationship seems to just fit. But what you dont realize is that your Geminis deepest fear is that theyll get bored. See, Geminis love to be intellectually stimulated. Theyre forever chasing the next adventure, the next deep conversation, the next strange or confusing thing they can learn, and though theyll never admit it, their curiosity can make them easily bored by the things and people around them. Though they love you so much, theyre terrified that the two of you will fall into a mundane, methodical existence and they might not have the same passion for your relationship anymore.

Cancer

Your Cancer is the person you can depend on, the one you can run to when anything is going wrong, the one you would trust with your life. They are dependable, dedicated, and compassionate. But sometimes they can be a little too much. Sometimes your Cancer can be too clingy, wanting to spend all of their time with you or make you the center of their world. This can cause you to pull back, craving your own space and identityand this is where their deepest fear comes in. Your Cancer is scared that theyll be too much, want too much, and hold on too tightly, pushing you away to the point that they lose you altogether.

Leo

Your Leo lover is bold, fiercely loyal, and often the boss of your relationship. With their dominant personality, being the center of attention comes naturally. They want to take care of you, and they want to be the one in charge, guiding and making decisions. But sometimes they can smother you with their big personality or arrogant naturethey know this, and this is their deepest fearthat you will mistake their care for selfish desire, or that you wont let them be the protector of the relationship. In many ways, they need to lead; they need to be the one who puts forth their attention and love because they want it reflected back to them in the same manner. But this is what they fear the most, you fighting back and seeing the way they love in the wrong light.

Virgo

Virgos are the calm figures in the relationship, almost always peaceful and patient. They are thinkers continually processing, analyzing, trying to make sense of whats happening or where your relationship is going. They are guided by their minds, and this is where their biggest fear comes into play. Because they are often lost in their own heads, and tend to fall on the obsessive side with their thoughts, theyre terrified theyll overthink themselves out of the relationship, always finding little things that bother or upset them, or picking fights because of something theyve thought into reality.

Libra

Libras can be wishy-washy. Sometimes it seems like theyre totally into you, the next it feels like theyre a thousand miles away, but at the end of the day, you know that they care because when the show you affection, its above and beyond. Your Libra lover will often go to the extreme, sacrificing all of themself to put you first and show you that you matter to them. However, their huge, secret fear is that they are compromising themselves too much in the relationship. As much as they show you they love you, they go back and forth in their true feelings. They want to know that as much as theyre giving, theyre going to get in return thats their biggest fear losing themselves in loving you.

Scorpio

Scorpios enjoy being alone. As emotional signs, they spend a lot of time in their heads, often brooding and analyzing their feelings. When it comes to your relationship, your Scorpio has a handle on who they are and how they feel, and do a great job of expressing that, which brings you two much closer. Their biggest fear, though, is that you wont give them the space they need to be themselves. Because they are so self-aware and contemplative, they need time alone to process. Theyre scared that as this relationship continues, theyre going to have to compromise more of their alone time for couple time, and they arent sure if theyre ready.

Sagittarius

Your Sagittarius is a wanderer. They love to discover new things, chase their passions, learn, and have freedom. Tying them down in the beginning wasnt easy, but was so worth it because of the beautiful, explorative relationship you now have. Every day it seems like the bond between the two of you gets stronger, and its obvious your Sag is totally into it. But their secret, deepest fear is that one day they wont be. Theyll never tell you this, but theyre terrified that one day theyll have to choose between their dreams and their relationship, and they might not choose you.

Capricorn

Your Capricorn is driven and serious. They are passionate about the things they do, the dreams they chase, and the way they love you. When they fell for you, they gave you a lot of themselves and this isnt lost on you. Something thats wonderful about them is that theyre always looking to the future, imagining and trying to plan for it. Their deepest fear, though, is that you arent on the same page. They are logical-minded; they take life very seriously and are often scared that you will either be too whimsical for them, or not see the relationship as real as they do.

Aquarius

Aquarius signs are always busy. Theyre helpful, caring, generous, and often supporting people in any way that they can, even strangers. One of their downfalls is that they are never alon ealmost always surrounded by others to the point that it makes you wonder whether theyre really serious about you. They are, but sometimes the fact that theyre always around other people causes a rift between you two. This is where their biggest fear comes in: because of their external relationships, they fear that youll try to control or restrict them. They want to have connections with people outside the two of you, and theyre terrified youll keep them from being who they really are.

Pisces

Pisces lovers are filled with passion. They are emotional, deep-thinking, and extremely empathetic. Whatever they feel, they feel a thousand times more intensely than you. Thats why its so important to them that you communicate and express your feelingswhen you dont, they start to feel like theyre losing you. This is where their biggest fear comes in. Your Pisces can often be a worrier: stressing, overthinking, and not wanting to upset you. Their biggest relationship fear is that youll mistake their emotions as weak, rather than a product of their heart. They care so much; theyre scared that instead of seeing their feelings and validating them, youll view them as pathetic or insecure.